Method and means for shipping or storing hops



April 6, 1954 s. s. MEISLER 2,674,535

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SHIPPING 0R STORING HOPS Filed July 13, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR.

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April 1954 s. s. MEISLER METIL-IOD AND MEANS FOR SHIPPING 0R STORINGHOPS Filed July 15, 195i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @DA/EY 5. 1175/545BY A 4 45% ATTOPA/EKs Patented Apr. 6, i954 OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FORSHIPPING OR STORING HOPS Sidney S. Meisler, Hollis Hills, N. Y.Application July 13, 1951, Serial No. 236,670 9 Claims (Cl. 99-189) Thisinvention relates to a method and means for shipping or storing hops.

At present, hops are shipped in burlap sacks of rectangular crosssection measuring around 60" x 22" x 30" and weighing from 180-200 lbs.Two sacks are placed one on the other and inserted in a press havingfiat top and bottom sections. Under pressure in the press, the height ofthe two sacks is reduced from 60" to 12" while the length and width isincreased about 4 inches. After being compressed, the superposed sacksare bound and fastened with wire whereupon the pressure is released, thebales expanding to 60" x 23" x 18". Upon removal from the press, the twobales are placed in a custom built metal lined case, custom builtbecause of a constant variable in all thedimensions.

It is an object of the instantinvention to provide better packing whichwill be impervious to Weather, negligent handling, and poor storing inthe holds of ships where other cargos may contaminate the hops withodors, moisture, acids, etc., the hops being easily damaged.

Another object is to conserve material in the shipment of hops.

Other objects of the instantinvention will become apparent in the courseof the following specification.

In the attainment of these objectives, two standard bales of hops, 60" x22" x 30", are inserted in a press which reduces the two rectangularbales to one of circular cross section. By applying the pressure to thetop and bottom and sides of the superposed bales rather than to the topand bottom only as presently done, the resultant single bale of circularcross section can be maintained within reasonable variations indimensions using substantially 50% less energy than at present, whichpermits the use of standard steel containers in place of the custombuilt metal lined wooden containers now in use. The compressed bale ofcircular cross section is then fastened with wire and hermeticallysealed in two standard steel drums. The air may be exhausted from thedrums and replaced with inert nitrogen whereupon the new bale can beshipped and stored without refrigeration. In place of inert nitrogen,sulphur dioxide may be inserted under pressure in the drums to maintainthe color of the hops and preserve the resins.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following, detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsshowing. by way of example a preferred embodimeat the inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the press with the diesassembled;

Figure 2 is an end view of the press shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of two superposed bales being compressedin the press shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bales shown in Figure 3 afterbeing compressed and bound together in a single unit in the press shownin Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an elevational view in part section of the bales shown inFigure 4 packed in standard steel drums for shipment;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the drums shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional view along l--! of Figure 5 but on an enlargedscale;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the tool used to seal the drumsshown in Figure 5; and

Figure 9 is similar to Figure 7 but showing another form of the seal.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings where like referencenumerals indicate like parts, reference numeral It indicates a bale ofhops as usually prepared for marketing; I l indicates the press in whichtwo bales ID are compressed and changed from rectangular to circularcross section; 12 indicates the two steel drums in which the resultantbale of circular cross section is inserted for shipment; I3 indicatesone form of seal for the drums; i4 indicates a second form of seal forthe drums; and 15 indicates the tool for securing either seal around theflanges of the drums.

Each superposed bale of hops It is wrapped in burlap and has a height of30", a width of 22", and a length of approximately, and is ofrectangular cross section as illustrated.

The two superposed bales of rectangular cross section are placed in thepress H which has the stationary upper die section It and the movablelower die section II. Each section is in the form of a circular arc andis provided with the spaced slots IB which are used for inserting thewire strands around the bales after being compressed as later shown.

The two bales I0, after being placed in the press ll between the dies [6and I! are compressed from the rectangular form to the circular form I 9(Fig. 4). In this way and in contrast with the present method in whichonly the top and bottom surfaces are compressed, the width of theresultant bale of circular cross section is held substantially uniformand the cubical contents reduced from 1'7 cu. ft. under the old methodto 14.5 cu. ft. under the method of subject application. The resultantbale under compression is then fastened with the wire strands 20 passedthrough the slots 18, the strands passing transversely around the balewith the free ends secured in a known manner.

The resultant bale of circular cross section is then inserted intwostandard 55 gallon steel drums 12 with the outwardly and downwardly directed flanges 2| circumferentially formed around each open topsuperposed. Between the superposed flanges 2| a rubber tube 22 or thelike is inserted, the abutting ends of which need not be fastened. Overthe tube 22 and adjacent outer surfaces of the flanges is an adhesivestrip 23, both the tube and adhesive strip running around thecircumference of the drum flanges. Over the adhesive strip 23 andcontiguous outer surface portions of the flanges is a strip or band ofsteel 24. The band of steel '24, the adhesive strip 23, and the rubbertube 22 are held in place by the transversely spaced clips 25 securedunder pressure by the tool 15.

The tool [5 is of known construction except that the jaws 2i: and 2!have been altered for adaptation to the particular problem.

In the second form of seal shown in Figure 9, the rubber tube 22 is thesame as the rubber tube of Figure 7 and the adhesive strip 23 is thesame as the adhesive strip of Figure 7. But, in place of the steel bandand clips shown in Figure '7 and previously described, a continuoussteel channel member 29 is inserted around the adhesive strip andflanges and forced into position and sealed by the jaws 28 and 21 of thetool Hi.

In operation, the two bales ill of rectangular cross section aresuperposed and placed between the dies of the press l I. One operator ofthe two required sets the press into motion by any suitable means notshown. After compression, and with one operator on each side of thepress, wires are inserted through the slots l8 and fastened around theresultant single bale. The resultant bale is then removed from the pressand placed into one of the two steel drums l2. Of course, one end of thebale will protrude beyond the drum and over the protruding end thesecond steel drum is placed so that when the bale is completelyenclosed, the flanges around the-open top of each drum are superposed.The rubber tube 22 is then inserted in the outer recess formed by theflanges. Next, the adhesive strip 23 is put on over the rubber tube andthe contiguous surface portions of the flanges and over the adhesivestrip the steel band 24. The various elements of the seal are held inplace by the spaced clips 25 attached by the tool IS. The air in thedrums may then be exhausted in a known manner and replaced by inertnitrogen or the air may simply be exhausted. In lieu of exhausting theair and adding nitrogen, sulphur dioxide may be inserted in the drumsthrough th cook 28 in a known manner or without exhausting the airactivated alumina may be added to absorb moisture.

It is obvious that the method and means illustrated and described herein"are subject 'to many variations and modifications within the scope ofthe'appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1 A method for shipping hops comprising the steps of compressing atleast one bale of hops of rectangular cross section .into a .bale ofcircular cross section, fastening the .baleof circular cross sectionwith spaced flexible members disposed transversely therearound, placingthe bale of circular cross section into two steel drums with the flangesaround the open ends thereof superposed, and sealing the superposedflanges of the drum.

2. A method for shipping hops according to claim 1 in which the air inthe drums is exhausted.

3. A method for shipping hops according to claim 1 in which the air isexhausted and replaced by inert nitrogen.

4. A method for shipping hops according to claim 1 in which the air isexhausted and replaced by sulphur dioxide.

5. A method for shipping hops according to claim 1 in which activatedalumina is inserted.

6. A container for a bale of hops formed into a unit of circular crosssection, the container comprising two drums with open ends, the open endof each drum having an outwardly and thence inwardly directed flangecircumferentially formed therearound and the flanges being superposed toform an outer circumferential recess therebetween, a rubber tubedisposed in the recess, an adhesive strip disposed over the tube and thecontiguous outer surface portions of the flanges, a resilient banddisposed over the adhesive strip and the contiguous outer surfaceportions of the flanges, a plurality of spaced clips transverselydisposed around the resilient band and the contiguous outer surfaceportions of the flanges, and means for exhausting the air from thedrums.

'7. A container for a bale of hops formed into a unit of circular crosssection, the container comprising two drums with open ends, the open endof each drum having an outwardly and thence inwardly directed flangecircumferentially formed thereround and the flanges being superposed toform an outer circumferential recess therebetween, a rubber tubedisposed in the recess, an adhesive strip disposed over the tube and thecontiguous outer surface portions of the flanges, a continuous steelchannel member disposed over the adhesive strip and the contiguous outersurface portions of the flanges, and means for securing the channelmember around the flanges.

8. A method of shipping hops comprising the steps of superposing twobales of hops of reetangular cross section, placing the superposed balesin a press, applying pressure in the press to the sides and to the topand bottom of the superposed bales to compress said bales into a singlebale of circular cross section and reduced cubical contents, securingthe single bale with spaced and transversely disposed flexible members,releasing the single bale from the press, placing one end of thereleased single bale in a drum through the open end thereof with theopposite end of the single bale protruding beyond the drum, placing theopen end of a second drum over the protruding end of the single balewith the rim of the open end of the second-mentioned drum abutting the.rim of the open end of the first-mentioned drum, inserting apreservative for the hops in the drums, and sealing together the abuttedrims of the drums.

9. A method of shipping hops comprising the steps of super-posing twobales of hops of rectangular cross section, placing the super-posedbales in a press, applying pressure in the press to the sides and to thetop and bottom of the superposed bales to compress said bales into-asingle bale of circular cross section and reduced cubical contents,securing the single bale with spaced and transversely disposed flexiblemembers, releasing the single bale from the press, placing one end ofthe released single bale in a drum through the open end thereof with theopposite end of the single bale protruding beyond the drum, placing theopen end of a second drum over the protruding end of the single balewith References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber 5 75,203 77,768 535,751 672,282 754,340

the rim of the open end of the second-mentioned 10 2326396 drum abuttingthe rim of the open end of the first-mentioned drum, sealing togetherthe abutted rims of the drums, and replacing the air in the drums withinert nitrogen.

Name Date Sehoonmaker Mar. 3, 1868 Schoonmaker May 12, 1868 CampbellMar. 12, 1895 Munford Apr. 16, 1901 Passarelli Mar. 8, 1904 HarrisonAug. 10, 1943 Pawelsky Mar. 27, 1945

1. A METHOD FOR SHIPPING HOPS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF COMPRESSING ATLEAST ONE BALE OF HOPS OF RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION INTO A BALE OFCIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, FASTENING THE BALE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTIONWITH SPACED FLEXIBLE MEMBERS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY THEREAROUND, PLACINGTHE BALE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION INTO TWO STEEL DRUMS WITH THE FLANGESAROUND THE OPEN ENDS THEREOF SUPERPOSED, AND SEALING THE SUPERPOSEDFLANGES OF THE DRUM.